HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending June 2, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. June 3, 1996 WEATHER SUMMARY: Comments on the week's weather and its effect on crop conditions are included in paragraphs below. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate throughout most of the State with last week's rains helping in all areas. Some areas still report subsoil moisture is short. Peanuts are 93 percent planted. Cotton and soybean planting continues. Wheat harvest continues. Hay cutting is active. Rains have helped the moisture stress in corn. Sugarcane and irrigated tobacco continue in good condition. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): very poor 0% (5%), poor 5% (15%), fair 35% (50%), good 50% (30%), and excellent 10% (0%). The grass began to grow in the north and central areas following rains of 1.00 to 4.00 inches. Pasture growth in the south remains good. The State's cattle herds were rated at poor 0% (5%), fair 50% (65%), good 45% (30%), and excellent 5% (0%). Cattle condition quickly improved after pastures started to grow. CITRUS: Summer-like conditions started this week with afternoon rains and a few thunderstorms. Virtually all areas sufficient moisture to temporarily discontinue use of the low volume irrigation. Trees and groves look very good after only a week of normal rains. New growth is starting to show in abundance on trees of all ages. Shedding of little green fruit is generally complete as the trees have somewhat adjusted to the size crop they can carry for the coming season. Harvest of Valencia oranges continues to slow as supplies are limited. Most of these oranges are going to processors. Harvest of seedless grapefruit is down to the last few hundred thousand boxes. Caretakers are cutting cover crops to help reduce habitats for harmful insects. Hedging, topping, spraying, and burning of removed trees continues in all areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop May 19 May 27 Jun 2 1,000 boxes Valencias 6,791 5,215 NA All grapefruit 318 254 NA INTERNET ACCESS FLORIDA VEGETABLES VEGETABLES: Almost daily rain fell over many localities with Palmetto-Ruskin totals ranging from a trace to about 4 inches and some Dade County areas receiving about 3 inches. Up to 2 and 1/2 inches of rain accumulated in some southeastern coastal localities. Gadsden County received soaking showers on May 28-29 with about 2.00 inches accumulating, while Union County got nearly 1.50 inches over May 29-30. Subsoil moisture supplies remain short in some northern areas with growers continuing to irrigate crops. Most temperatures ranged from lows in the 70s to highs in the upper 80s and low 90s. Temperatures cooled somewhat over the weekend of June 1 and 2 with recorded lows in the 60s and highs in the upper 70s and low 80s. Tomato harvest is getting underway around Quincy. Virtually all harvesting is finished in Dade County and completed except for watermelons around Immokalee. Growers are not harvesting some squash acreage due to the low market. Market News Service preliminary rail and truck shipments (in 10,000 pound units) for the weeks ending June 1, May 25, and 18 were 23,492; 24,703; 24,360, respectively. Shipments for individual crops are shown below in the same order and units. SNAP BEANS: (81; 186; 354) North--Harvest continuing. West Central--Crop in fair condition. Harvest mostly for U-Pic. Quality fair to good. East Coast--Season nearly finished. Growers hand picking very limited acreage. Volume very light. Quality good. Everglades--Harvest mostly completed. Dade, Southwest--Picking finished. Growers cleaning fields, planting cover crops. BLUEBERRIES: (7; 19; 0) North--Harvest continuing. Frequent rainfall slowing activity. Central-Harvest completed. CABBAGE: (45; 144; 484) North--Season nearing end. West Central--Condition fair to good. Cutting slowing seasonally. Quality fair to good. Size good. Southwest, Dade--Harvesting completed. CARROTS: (17; 16; 19) Central--Harvest nearing end. Limited volume available over next 2 weeks. CELERY: (159; 141; 221) Central--Harvest slowing. Supply available over next 2 weeks. Quality, size good. SWEET CORN: (2,029; 3,115; 2,916) Zellwood--Picking continued with yellow, white, bi-color varieties available. Quality good. Yield improving. Good volume available for next 4 weeks or more. Everglades--Picking winding down with most growers to finish over next 7 to 10 days. North--Picking getting underway within next 7 to 10 days. Dade--A limited acreage being picked for local sales. Southwest, East Coast--Harvest completed. FLORIDA VEGETABLE Page 2 June 3, 1996 CUCUMBERS: (968; 1,444; 2,119) North--Picking active. Quality variable but mostly good. Sumter County--Harvest active. West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Majority of acreage being harvested for U-Pic. Quality fair to good. Sizes variable. East Coast--Frequent showers, warm temperatures, low market brought harvest to end. Southwest, Dade--Harvesting finished. Zellwood--Pickle picking continuing. Thunderstorms occurring almost daily slowing field activity. Adequate supply available over next 4 weeks or more.EGGPLANT: (118; 139; 134) East Coast--Crop condition fair. Cutting of light volume slowing seasonally with fancy, small fancy, some choice available. Quality, color remain good. Workers pulling stakes, plastic. West Central, Dade--Cutting of limited acreage for local sales continuing. Quality fair to mostly good. Southwest--Harvest completed. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: (4; 11; 33) Central, Everglades--Season nearly completed. LETTUCE: (0; 0; 7) Central, Everglades--Season finished. PEPPERS: (1,110; 1,314; 1,439) West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking slowing seasonally. Quality fair to good. Sizes variable. Steady supply available. North--Harvest active. Quality variable but mostly good. Sumter County--Picking active. East Coast--Crop in mostly good condition. Green Bell harvest slowing seasonally with limited acreage remaining to be crowned. Quality mostly good. Very small amount red, yellow Bells available. Thunderstorms preventing spray applications for control of insects. Workers cleaning acreage completely harvested. Southwest, Dade--Picking finished. POTATOES: (6,414; 5,244; 6,501) Hastings, North--Digging continuing. Steady supply available. Quality generally good. Dade, Southwest, Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting over. Small amount remaining in coolers. Recent rains boosting growth of cover crops. RADISHES: (30; 58; 76) Central--Season virtually completed. Everglades--Harvest over. SQUASH: (163; 272; 402) West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Harvest active. Some growers finished picking. Quality fair to good with fancy, medium grades available. North--Picking active. Quality mostly good. Sumter County--Harvest active. East Coast--Cutting of very light volume continuing with fancy, medium grades packed. Quality, color variable. Workers pulling plastic from fields completely picked. Dade, Southwest--Cutting completed. Workers removing plastic, planting cover crops. TOMATOES: (4,631; 4,278; 4,105) Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition rated fair to good. Picking near peak level. Fruit quality fair. Sizes variable. Yield, volume below normal. Growers have picked most acreage at least 1 time. Gadsden County--Picking getting underway. Recent rain temporarily easing drought conditions. Sumter County--Picking active. East Coast--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking of limited acreage continuing. Growers harvesting fruit from crown, 2nd hands; by-passing 3rd picks. Sizes available: extra large, large, medium. Quality variable. Showers delaying harvesting, spraying. Southwest--Heavy rainfall brought season to end. Workers pulling plastic, stakes from fields. Dade--Picking for local sales continuing. Workers removing stakes, plastic; planting cover crops. CHERRY TOMATOES: (139; 118; 126) West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking winding down. Quality fair to good. Sizes fair. Gadsden County--Picking getting underway. Southwest--Season completed. PLUM TOMATOES: (Shipments included with round varieties of tomatoes) West Central--Crop condition rated fair to good. Harvest steady but slowing seasonally. Quality, size fair to good. Gadsden County--Harvest getting underway. Southwest--Harvest finished. WATERMELONS: (7,180; 7,949; 5,304) West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Cutting active with steady volume available. Quality fair to good. Size, color good. Yield average. Southwest--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking winding down. Quality good. Sumter, Jefferson counties--Harvest getting underway. Brevard County--Cutting continuing. Hail fell in southern localities.